S.D.G. - part 1

At the end of each original manuscript that Johann S. Bach wrote, you will find the letters. "S.D.G." What does that mean? Why did he do that?

The initials stand for the Latin expression, Soli Deo Gloria, and literally means "Glory to God Alone" or "to the glory of God alone." It was the essence of expressing his belief that all of music (as well as life) was to be to the glory of God alone.

Many centuries before Bach's birth, there lived another man with the same heartbeat that practiced the same objective and goal--the Apostle Paul. As he concluded his epistle to the first century church at Philippi, he once again directed their attention to this overarching and consuming goal - the glory of God.

If this "doxology" (Paul's utterance of a word of glory or praise) is to sincerely flow from our mouths, then our lives must be oriented in the same direction. We must learn to live S.D.G. - to the glory of God alone!

How is that done? What did the Holy Spirit intend to communicate through Paul with this statement that unto God there is to be glory? This message from God's Word delivers three key observations from the context of Philippians 4:20 to help us live S.D.G.